Special Moments

21 July 2014

Share your special moments following Oxford United

With the season almost upon us Oxford fans are hoping for some Special Moments in the months ahead. We want fans to share their favourite memories of supporting the club over the years. Tweet us (#SpecialMoments) or email your great moments and we will publish them in the first matchday magazine of the season.

To get the ball rolling we asked the staff of Oxford United for their own special moments

Mick Brown - club secretary: Brighton away in the FA Cup. Peter Foley was the hero. Brighton were flying high in the top division and we were bumbling along. It was the first big away victory that I can remember. Until recently I was one of relatively few people to have seen us win at Swindon: back in 1973. Other special moments were the Wembley games, but they are too obvious so I’ll go for my first away game at Birmingham City back in 1971. I have been hooked on following the club around the country ever since.

Peter Rhoades-Brown - business development manager: In 30 years there are hundreds of memories so I’ll try and narrow it down to just three. First is the final whistle in the Milk Cup semi-final against Aston Villa. I just remember thinking ‘I’m going to play in a final at Wembley’. Second was walking out for my testimonial and 5,200 people being in the ground. That meant so much to me and was very emotional. And third was Wembley in 2010, another highly emotional day. Being on the pitch beforehand, the tension in the second half, the scenes at the end.

Pete Dunnill - club accountant: Being chased by Ian McGuckin down Lime Walk because we owed him money - I was too quick for him. Being run over coming out of the Standard and Paul Moody rescuing me. And on the pitch, Wembley, as well as David Rush waving the corner flag at home to Peterborough after scoring in a game we needed to win to go up in ‘96.

Martin Brodetsky - programme editor: Spurs at the Manor in our first home game in the top flight, and then beating Leicester at home in the next one. You never forget games like those. The Peterborough game to clinch promotion in 1996. And the Rushden semi-final at the Kassam; the fans singing ‘Que Sera Sera’ was a real hairs on the back of your neck moment.

Mary Page - executive assistant: There are so many. Taking all the juniors to away trips to places like Ipswich, the two trips to Wembley. But probably my favourite moments were at the Manor. Dave Langan, one of my favourite players, scoring the winner against Arsenal, or the long wait while Steve Biggins’ header dropped over the Man United goalkeeper when we beat them in the cup.

Chris Williams - communications manager: Les Phillips scoring late on against Everton to just about keep us up, and Dean Saunders’ header at Luton in the last minute when we had been 2-0 up with five minutes to go, pegged back to 2-2 then won it in the very last minute. Luton had a no away fans rule, but I was in that pocket of Oxford fans who managed to get in. More recently seeing my son lead the teams out as mascot in the very first game ever played at the Kassam Stadium. And being on the open-top bus in 2010 as we turned into Broad Street and saw that sea of people.

Leon Blackmore-Such - boys under-18 coach: Meeting Cristiano Ronaldo when he played here for Manchester United. And feeling proud every time I pulled on the shirt for the age group teams I played for as a kid.

Steve Mitchell - ticket office assistant: A group of us taking a giant Oxford flag to a game in Strasbourg and being treated like royalty all day. Here, the atmosphere for the home play-off against Rushden was probably the loudest I can remember, and the FA Cup win over Swindon where the draw was straight after and we got Arsenal away. The whole place went mad, and Jefferson Louis was dancing naked on TV!

Christine Greenough - ticket office supervisor: My husband taking me to Millwall away as a special treat on my 21st birthday! Seeing Steve Biggins score the winner at home to Manchester United. I went posh that day and was in the old Manor Club. And the win over Swindon here a couple of years ago. It was sold out before the day so I got to see the whole game for once and the atmosphere was unbelievable.

Les Taylor - women’s manager: As a player, scoring twice away at Blackpool although I was playing right back. I moved on to Watford but was asked to commentate for the BBC on the Milk Cup win in 1986 which was a great day. And more recently as part of the youth development system, seeing players we worked with like Dean Whitehead, Chris Hackett and Sam Ricketts play for the first team and have such great careers.

John Elliott (Spike) - sports therapist: When I was coaching it was seeing all the Centre of Excellence kids on the pitch at half time at games. Joining the staff just before the Wembley game in 2010 was great. And the Swindon away game a couple of years ago, smiling politely at Paolo Di Canio as he walked past me and into the stand! Seeing how much it meant to the fans after was a very special moment.